Overview (French)

National Council for Scientific Research -CNRS, Lebanon

Secretary General: Mouin Hamzé

Address: 59, Zahia Salmane street, Jnah.

P.O. Box: 11-8281, Riad El Solh 1107 2260, Beirut, Lebanon.

Phone: (+961 1) 850125; Fax: (+961 1) 822842;

E-Mail: sg@cnrs.edu.lb.

The National Council for Scientific Research was established in 1962 as a central science policy-making public institution under the authority of the Prime Minister and granted administrative and financial autonomy. It has two major functions:

1. Advisory Function: The CNRS draws the general outline of the National Science Policy and formulates proposals and suggestions to the government and carries out surveys and inventories of on-going research activities in private and public institutions in the country.
2. Executive Function: Consists basically in the implementation of the National Science Policy. To achieve this objective, the CNRS initiates, encourages and coordinates research. In addition, it leads and organizes scientific research activities within its defined work programs.
   

Mission and Purpose:
The objectives of CNRS are:

• To draw the general outline of a national science and research policy;
• To advise the government on any issue concerning science and national science policy;
• To carry out surveys and inventories of on-going research;
• To formulate work programs in cooperation with the concerned ministries and the private sector;
• To initiate and encourage scientific research in the theoretical and applied aspects of basic, social and behavioral sciences.

Organizational Structure:
The CNRS consists of two main divisions:

• The Board of Administration
• The General Secretariat

In addition, the CNRS manages and runs the following research centers:

1. Center for Marine Sciences
2. Center for Geophysics
3. Center for Remote Sensing
4. Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission

Major activities:

• Scholarship Grant Program for advanced studies and research;
• Research Grant Program for research support;
• CNRS Associate Research Units Program in cooperation with top ranking laboratories in the country

The CNRS is in the process of finalizing a New Science and Technology Innovation Policy. Its implementation will start in 2005 and will continue until 2009. This new policy is based on cooperation between relevant Government institutions, the scientific community (universities) and the private sector (industry, agriculture, services, etc…).
Cooperative Programs have been initiated with the British Royal Society (UK), CNRS (France), Russian Academy of Science (Russia), National Science Foundation (USA), Ford Foundation (USA), Royal Scientific Society (Jordan), IAEA, ICARDA, ICSU, ALECSO, ACSAD, CIHEAM, UNESCO, UNDP, UNEP and others.